McConaughey is receiving rave reviews for his performance as Ron Woodroof in "Dallas Buyers Club," a real-life saga of a hard-living electrician and small-time rodeo rider who is diagnosed with HIV in the mid-'80s. Given only a month to live, Woodroof pursued alternative treatments and survived for seven years.

McConaughey has performed a remarkable turnaround the last few years, transforming from an at-times half-heartedly unconvincing romantic lead in forgettable films to an electrifying, undeniable screen presence.

His varied string of recent performances includes turns in Richard Linklater's "Bernie," William Friedkin's "Killer Joe," Lee Daniels' "The Paperboy," Jeff Nichols' "Mud" and Steven Soderbergh's "Magic Mike." McConaughey will also be seen in Martin Scorsese's upcoming "The Wolf of Wall Street."

McConaughey's striking physical transformation for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club" would seem to make it awards-friendly. Last year as he was lending awards-season support to his performance in "Magic Mike," his frail and gaunt appearance for his "Dallas Buyers" part made him at times an awkward presence, difficult in some ways to even look at.

Now supporting his "Dallas Buyers Club" role with the return of his movie-star dazzle, he seems to be getting the formula just right.

Numerous winners of the Desert Palm have gone on to Oscar nominations and even wins, including Daniel Day-Lewis, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn.

"It's like a roller derby out there," Tom Hanks says from a corner of Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel. And he's not talking about the scene across the street Thursday night at the TCL Chinese Theatre, where Hanks' latest movie, "Saving Mr. Banks," is about to enjoy its 2013 AFI Fest premiere.

How far can “12 Years a Slave” go at the box office? Look no further than this weekend, when Steve McQueen’s acclaimed drama faces another key test as it expands into its broadest national release so far.